Protectorate of Grayson
Star Geography Grayson is an interstellar state located 38 light years to the north east of the Manticore System in the Yeltsin's Star System. The planet is located over five hundred light years away from Earth. Grayson is, also, located to the west of the Endicott System, which is two days travel away. Grayson is the only habitable planet in the system with a population around 4 and a half billion. Planet Characteristics Grayson has a high concentration of heavy metals, such as arsenic and cadmium. None of the native fauna and flora are edible to humans, and the water is too acidic. Most of the metals are worth attracting much interstellar trade. The planet had a blue-green color to it because of the massive amounts of chlorophyll. There are few deserts on the planet. The planet was not as large as Earth. Visitors from other worlds carry a filtration mask because of the high concentration of atmospheric dust. History Colonization In 488 PD, a group of settlers from the Church of Humanity Unchained leave Earth for the Yeltsin's Star System. In 988 PD, the planet was colonized by settlers from the Church of Humanity Unchained. At the time, the system and the planet was not even surveyed. The settlers were led by Austin Grayson. The settlers wanted to get away from the horrors of technology. Yet, when they arrived on the planet, the settlers were forced to use technology to survive, which included the construction of domes. The First Elders, from the Council of Elders, destroyed every technological device associated with space travel, including the cryo tubes. In 998 PD, Austin Grayson dies. Captain Hugh Yanakov and Mayhew convinced the settlers that technology was not evil, but the way it was used on Earth. During the first generation of colonists, there was an average of one birth in three. Of the survivors, only half survived, while the rest were too unhealthy to live. The colony's women would bear many children at the cost of their lives and emotional well-being to ensure that the colony would survive. Female births outnumbered male births during this time period. The practice of euthanasia, or sending them to God, was practiced. There are cemeteries of child's graves with only dates on them. The cemeteries were used to grow crops during the early colonial period. Grayson Civil War and the Schism In the 12th Century, most of the technological knowledge from Earth was lost. The colonists started over. During this time, planes, tanks, and guns were reinvented. Later, chemical-fueled sublight ships were built, which led to the discovery of Masada in the Endicott System. There was a mass calling to settle the planet, but the technology, at the time, was not advanced enough to move colonists. Two groups eventually came out of the new edict, the Moderates, and the Faithful. The Moderates were the ones, who were willing to use technology to survive. The Faithful wanted to go back to the old ways of all technology was evil. The two groups fought each other. The Moderates eventually won the war, but the Faithful had a doomsday weapon and were willing to use it, until Barbara Bancroft defected to the Moderates, and informed them of the doomsday weapon. The Faithful were exiled to the planet, Masada, after five years of war. Isolation Period and the First Grayson-Masadan War In 1703 PD, the first vessel from an outside system called on Grayson. During this time, Grayson was roughly fifteen hundred years behind her peers. Grayson fought another war with Masada in the First Grayson-Masadan War, where Masada bombarded Grayson targets with nuclear weapons. Since 1868 PD, Grayson's and Masada's technological level jumped ahead eight centuries. In 1868 PD, the First Grayson-Masadan War was fought, and Masadan forces used nuclear weapons against planetary targets. Alliance with the Star Kingdom of Manticore and Second Grayson-Masadan War In 1903 PD, the Star Kingdom of Manticore started to send supplies, loans, and personnel to help Grayson's out of date industry base and defenses. Admiral of the Green Raoul Courvosier was sent with a diplomatic delegation to finalize the alliance. Manticore sent a convoy of vessels to the planet with loads of supplies. The current head of state is Protector Benjamin Mayhew IX. The area around Grayson was being patrolled by the Navy of Masada after being defeated at the First Battle of Yeltsin's Star. After the assassination attempt on the Protector by The Brotherhood of Maccabeus was thwarted by Captain Honor Harrington of the RMN, the populace's support for Manticore and the alliance grew tremendously. (The Honor of the Queen) Society The society is governed by the rules and customs set down by the Church of Humanity Unchained. Even though the original colony ship had fusion reactors, the current technology was fission. There are massive space orbital facilities in orbit of Grayson. They were mostly Orbital farms, to provide food source for the planet's population. The cities on Grayson are encased in domes, and swimming in water is a taboo because of the planet's highly acidic oceans. There are no cities along the oceans. The people have developed a high tolerance for heavy metals, but their average lifespan is seventy years. They are small, have bad teeth, and fragile bones. The population suffer from high rates of neural damage, mental retardation, and birth defects. The population have gotten used to monitoring the toxicity levels of their farms and distill every drop of water. The third leading killer on Grayson is lung cancer. Even though Grayson has a third less of the population than Masada, Grayson has a bigger industrial base. Grayson's fusion reactors were four times as massive as the modern fusion reactors, which is the reason why Grayson uses more fission reactors. Culture Their food is a mixture of Oriental and New Toscana, as described by Admiral Raoul Courvosier of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. One of the types of music that originated on Grayson was one heard by Admiral Courvosier, who compared the music to Earth's Country and Western style, but with a sad undertone. Yet, it was curiously lively. Customs with Women In meeting a high-ranking noble woman, one needs to bow over the offered hand, and brush the hand with their lips. If a women is invited to visit another home, it is customary for the woman's protector to accompany her on the visit. A woman's protector is primarily her husband or male family members. Females are dominated by the Males as second class citizens. Polygamy is practiced. The many wives of each husband call each other sisters. The idea of woman are property died long ago, but a complex and elaborate series of codes and customs are now in place. Women do not have to wear veils anymore, but they are still not allowed to wear slacks and have short hair. Government The formal name of the Grayson nation is "the Protectorate of Grayson". (HH8) Planetary government is headed by the Protector and the Chancellor, under the terms of the Grayson Constitution. There is a bicameral legislative branch called the Chamber), composed of a hereditary Conclave of Steadholders and an elected Conclave of Steaders (HH5). Over the last century, executive control of the government is in the hands of the Council of Elders. The government knows that Masada would like to conquer Grayson and cast down their ungodly ancestors. The government looked to the Star Kingdom of Manticore to help them against Masada and the People's Republic of Haven. The various departments of the Government were headed by various ministers, who serve in the Protector's Council. Local government in Grayson is left in the hands of feudal lords known as Steadholders, each of whom rules a Steading (province) of Grayson with extreme autonomy from the central government. Constitution The Constitution has given certain powers to the Protector, which includes the power to intervene in governmental affairs. However, the unwritten part of the Constitution (political and constitutional precedents and customs) led to the government being slowly put under control of the Council and the Conclave of Steadholders, until the Mayhew Restoration. Laws The punishment for Treason is death. Several other crimes, including murder and rape, are also punishable by the death penalty, and hanging is the primary method of execution. (HH2, HH5) A Steadholder is immune from prosecution unless the charge is treason, and the Protector himself may condemn a Steadholder to death if evidence of his treason is conclusive. However, under Grayson tradition a Steadholder has the right to challenge the accusation by a trial by sword against the Protector's Champion. (HH5) Military Grayson's main military arm is the Grayson Space Navy. The Protectorate also has an Army branch which includes the shipboard troops assigned to the Navy, as Grayson doesn't have a separate Marine Corps. The Army's mission includes guarding the governmental buildings on the planet. Category:Grayson Category:Planets Category:Star nations Category:Grayson Planets